Chancellor Zimpher Announces $1 Million for Community College Career Centers

February 25, 2016

New York State Department of Labor, Regional Workforce Organizations Partner with SUNY to Support Student Success

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and New York State Department of Labor Acting Commissioner Roberta Reardon today announced eight projects involving 15 SUNY community colleges that will receive $1 million to support career centers, which utilize collaborations with local and regional workforce partners to link students and community members with enhanced career services and employment opportunities. The $1 million in funding was provided by the 2015-16 State Budget.

“SUNY community colleges have a rich history of providing quality workforce programs and job training that reflect demand, successfully preparing our graduates to meet the needs of New York’s employers for decades,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “As the result of state investment in SUNY, we have had the opportunity to leverage our partnership with the Department of Labor and establish career centers that will not only benefit our students, but answer critical workforce needs in communities across the state. Congratulations to all of the collaborations receiving funds as a result of this innovative program.”

“The New York State Department of Labor is committed to helping job seekers find the employment they’re looking for, and connecting workers to job training and Career Center services is an important component of that mission,” said Acting State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “We must prepare workers not only for the jobs that are available today, but also for the jobs that will become available in the future. I join Chancellor Zimpher in congratulating all of our partners who will be receiving funds and I look forward to the results we’ll achieve together.”

“These projects complement greatly th‎e fantastic workforce and career development initiatives currently provided by our community colleges,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline Johanna Duncan-Poitier. “With this funding, campuses can create stronger ties between the Department of Labor and other workforce partners to benefit students and community members with enhanced employment services.”

Eight projects involving 15 SUNY community colleges and their regional partners will launch in 2016 and receive funding as follows:

Broome Community College, $100,000

SUNY Broome and the Broome-Tioga Workforce New York Board, Inc. will expand services for the Southern Tier, first building on a popular DOL job fair held annually at the college that attracts more than 70 employers and 500 job seekers. The college will also launch on-campus training and outreach using DOL resources such as its case management system, which aligns students and local employers to better retain young talent in the area.

Erie Community College, $100,000

ECC will establish an Integrated Career Experiences Model program to help students transition from college to career, while also addressing the growing regional demand for highly skilled employees. ECC and DOL will align regional resources for students and create meaningful internships and career opportunities in areas experiencing high job growth.

Genesee and Monroe Community Colleges, $154,000

GCC and MCC will work with local workforce service providers to advance career opportunities for urban and rural populations in the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions, with a focus on veterans and individuals with disabilities. Funds will support training of college professional staff on local resources available through DOL and increasing student access as well as outcomes.

Herkimer County and Mohawk Valley Community Colleges, $154,000

HCCC and MVCC will establish “Mohawk Valley Connections,” a regional collaborative to provide internships and experiential learning opportunities that augment existing job services at the colleges and focus on emerging, high growth sectors in the region. The colleges also plan to develop for-credit degree and certificate programs and non-credit programs; create a Next Generation Workers Council that will take a regional approach to internship development; and increase student awareness of the America’s Job Centers system and DOL services available.

North Country Community College, $88,000

NCCC will develop curriculum that meets workforce need, establish a resource center to increase student awareness of and access to available DOL services, and offer job fairs and workshops for students and the public. Working with regional workforce partners, educators, and businesses, the college will also survey workforce and business needs to develop training programs and workshops.

Onondaga Community College, $100,000

In partnership with DOL, CNY Works, and JOBSplus!, OCC will establish CNY CAREER Link to close the gaps between job seekers and opportunities to help more students and community members enter viable careers and assist more employers in hiring a talented workforce. CNY CAREER Link will build upon existing framework at the college to prepare students for successful careers and align with the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) plan, which identified a need to build stronger connections among jobs, job seekers, and education and training to support individual economic opportunity and the revitalization of the regional economy.

Rockland Community College, $204,000

The Hudson Valley Educational Consortium (HVEC), led by Rockland Community College and comprised of the six SUNY community colleges in the Mid-Hudson region – Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester – will integrate career centers and departments of continuing education and workforce development, and enhance coordination with workforce partners. HVEC will address the current and emerging gaps between regional workforce needs and the pipeline of graduates to fill those needs.

Suffolk County Community College, $100,000

SCCC’s I-PROMOTE (Integrating Programs and Resources for Outreach, Motivation and Engagement) initiative will expand collaborations between DOL and the college, as well as Suffolk County’s departments of labor and social services, the legislature’s Welfare to Work Commission, and the Long Island STEM Hub. The college will establish resources ranging from self-service kiosks to campus career services computer labs and DOL will provide job readiness assistance on each campus on a continuing basis, as well as professional development for college staff in case management and metrics (OSOS) and other DOL services.

About the New York State Department of Labor
The mission of the New York State Department of Labor is to protect workers, assist the unemployed, and connect job seekers to jobs. The Department operates 96 Career Centers across the state offering free services to job seekers. In 2015, the Department helped place over 260,000 New Yorkers in jobs through Career Center services, registered apprenticeship programs, career fairs and customized recruitments. The Labor Department also administers innovative initiatives, such as the Governor’s Unemployment Strikeforce, Work For Success and the Urban Youth Jobs Program, which target and lead to a reduction in high unemployment rates in a variety of New York communities and across many demographic groups.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.